NATIVE MURDER AT OMAHU.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1906, 20 June 1889, Page 4

NATIVE MURDER AT OMAHU.

Napier, June 17. Tauranga Karauria died on Sunday at 5 p.m. The post mortem this morning showed that a bullet had lodged in the bowels. The inquest commenced and was formally adjourned till ;next Monday. Later. Karauria’s remains were to-day removed to Omahu, where a tangi is being held. Though only 26 years hid, he’ was by birth a big Rangitira, his father, who was shot while fighting against Te Kooti, being the principal chief of this part of the Island. Before Tauranga died.he explained that what he desired to say to the Herald reporter he sent for was to contradict the report that he was pleughing on land at any time occupied by Broughton or Waaturia Wi. The land is not yet through the court, and the ownership is consequently undetermined, but particular natives have been in the habit of cultivating a particular paddock. Lately it has been used in common as a racecourse. Karauria determined to take a crop off a portion of the paddock without interfering with the racecourse, and some of Broughton’s natives were also ploughing in another portion of the paddock. Karauria’s intention was well known, and he did not anticipate any violence. He also desired to remove from those who were with him any imputation of cowardice. When he saw that Waaturia was armed with a revolver he was afraid that if his comrades advanced several might be shot, and then there would be a very serious tribal disturbance, so be called to them to run away. He had been warned by Arini not to use violence under any circumstances, but to let the law settle all disputes. When he wrenched the revolver from Waaturia his first impulse was to shoot his assailant, but he remembered what he had been told and determined to leave it to the law to avenge his injuries. This was explanatory of a rather vague part of his deposition.